Canada moves to revoke Tahawwur Rana's citizenship; terror charges not cited

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Canadian prime minister Mark Carney's visit to India, his government has started the process to revoke the citizenship of Tahawwur Rana, Pakistan-born businessman, currently being tried in India for helping plan the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.However, the move to cancel his citizenship is not based on terrorism charges, but on alleged misrepresentation in his citizenship application. According to documents obtained by Global News, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has accused Rana of lying about his residence history. In his 2000 application, he claimed he had lived in Ottawa and Toronto for four years, with only a six-day absence from Canada. Rana moved to Canada in 1997 and became a citizen in 2001. An investigation by the Canadian police later found that he had actually spent most of that period in Chicago, where he owned properties and businesses, including an immigration firm and a grocery store.In a letter dated May 31, 2024, IRCC told Rana that he had misrepresented his time in Canada and failed to declare his absences. The department described it as a “serious and deliberate deception” and said his actions showed a lack of respect for Canada’s citizenship laws.The case has now been referred to the Federal Court, which will decide whether his citizenship was obtained through false representation or fraud.